KMC asks educational institutions to treat teachers engaged in Census work as 'on duty'

The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) on Saturday asked heads of educational institutions to treat the period during which teaching staff are engaged in Census-related work as "on duty".

In a memorandum, the KMC said teachers from various educational institutions and officials from different departments had been engaged as enumerators and supervisors for the census exercise.

Citing sections 15A and 15B of the Census Act, it said personnel engaged in census work should not face any service-related disadvantage on account of their duties.

Under Section 15A, the period spent on census duty is to be treated as duty performed under an employee's parent organisation and should not affect their eligibility for promotion or other career progression, the KMC said.

The civic body also referred to Section 15B, which provides legal safeguards to census officials and personnel against suits, prosecution or other legal proceedings for acts done or intended to be done in good faith under the Act or rules framed under it.

The KMC asked headmasters, heads of institutions and departmental heads to record the period during which teaching staff perform census-related duties as "on duty".

They were also requested to ensure that personnel engaged in the exercise are relieved whenever required and do not face any hindrance, service disadvantage or administrative difficulty while carrying out their census responsibilities.

Describing the Census as a statutory exercise of national significance, the memorandum urged all stakeholders to extend full cooperation for its "smooth, punctual and successful execution".